


golden

by lesbianpatrick



Series: poly fob high school au! [1]
Category: Fall Out Boy
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff, Getting Together, High School AU, Multi, That's right, Valentine's Day, fite me, i can do what i want, it's a bit late for v day but fuck it, poly fob high school au, xoxo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-27
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-07-18 12:47:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7315759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbianpatrick/pseuds/lesbianpatrick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The card is one of those cheesy “<em>Be Mine?</em>” things covered in hearts on the outside, so Patrick opens it. The inside is blank and white, but for a messily written message on the right side.</p><p> <em>patrick,</em></p><p> <em>hey, i think you’re pretty cute. wanna be my boyfriend?</em></p><p> <em>btw i already have two boyfriends but they know i’m sending you this and they think you’re cute too so it’s all cool ;)</em></p><p> <em>your pal,<br/>pete from chemistry </em></p><p>
  <em>P.S. insert a joke about chemistry here</em>
</p><p>Patrick re-reads the message five times, but it doesn’t change. What the fuck?</p>
            </blockquote>





	golden

**Author's Note:**

> it's been over a week since i posted!!! sorry!!!
> 
> i've been overloaded with stuff, yikes
> 
> i have a (super angsty) sequel to the robot au (yeah, remember that?), a HUGE fic that i wont spoil for you, a possible continuation on the time travel fic, an accidental marriage au, a new crack fic, FINALLY chapter two of reflect (!!!), and even a collab with my friend kell all going on right now, but i managed to finish this 
> 
> yeah, this is how im spending my summer.
> 
> enjoy!

Valentine’s Day, in Patrick’s opinion, is complete shit and should not be allowed to be celebrated in public schools. All that the tradition results in is popular kids getting more popular and the unpopular kids (i.e. Patrick) feeling even more left out because no one gives enough fucks to give them even a single piece of candy.

Well, usually.

That’s basically why Patrick is so surprised to have in his hand a real, actual Valentine’s Day card that doesn’t look like someone threw it together in algebra with a notecard and two pieces of used scotch tape (and yes, that has actually happened to him before). No, this is a legit store-bought card, all red and pink and white and glitter. Patrick hasn’t opened it yet, out of pure fear that it’s a joke someone is playing on him, because who would actually use their money to buy him of all people a card?

Now, though, he slowly tears open the colorful envelope and tugs out the card inside. Nothing has exploded yet, so he takes that as a good sign.

The card is one of those cheesy “ _Be Mine?_ ” things covered in hearts on the outside, so Patrick opens it. The inside is blank and white, but for a messily written message on the right side.

_patrick,_

_hey, i think you’re pretty cute. wanna be my boyfriend?_

_btw i already have two boyfriends but they know i’m sending you this and they think you’re cute too so it’s all cool ;)_

_your pal,  
pete from chemistry_

_P.S. insert a joke about chemistry here_

Patrick re-reads the message five times, but it doesn’t change. What the fuck?

First things first, it’s got to be a joke. No one would seriously ask him out, right?

Secondly, he’s allegedly being asked out by a _guy._ Not that he’s straight or anything, because he definitely isn’t. But...really?

Third, he knows “pete from chemistry”. It’s the annoying guy he sits next to in (predictably) chemistry; the one who goes out of his way to swear using only elements. One example would be the time he burned his hand and screamed “fluorine uranium carbon potassium”, or, spelled with the element abbreviations, “FUCK”. Pete is arguably hot and semi-popular and would most definitely _not_ willingly ask Patrick out. Ever.

And finally, the message contains the phrase “btw i already have two boyfriends”. It’s not that Patrick sees any problem with that. Polyamory is fine by him. But he’s a bit confused as to why anyone would _invite him to join an active relationship_. 

So, to summarize: apparently, a hot, semi-popular guy is inviting him to join an active relationship. That just doesn’t add up to Patrick.

Which reminds him, he has one minute until his algebra class starts, and he should really go before he’s late.

So he does.

~*~

Patrick’s last class of the day is, unfortunately, chemistry.

Chemistry, where he has to sit next to Pete “btw i already have two boyfriends” Wentz. Great.

Pete isn’t there right now, so Patrick hurriedly takes his seat. He knows Pete will be here, though, because he’d seen him in the halls earlier. And, oh yeah, he received the crazy card from him too.

The bell rings and Pete rushes in, seconds from being tardy, as per usual. Patrick finds himself suddenly interested in the mystery stain on his banged-up blue notebook. He knows that Pete knows that he got the note, and he doesn’t want to talk about that right now.

The teacher, Mr. Splinter, makes his way around the class, handing everyone a pack of off-brand jelly beans. Patrick calls these “pity candies”, because their sole purpose is to make the unpopular kids feel like someone cares. Spoiler alert: is doesn’t work.

Patrick tries to ignore Pete, really, but ignoring someone who is poking you on the shoulder and has immediate access to a container of hydrochloric acid really isn’t the best idea.

“What?” Patrick spits out, turning to face Pete and glaring.

Pete seems unfazed by Patrick’s negative reaction, holding his grin. “Did you get it?”

Patrick could pretend that he hadn’t, but judging by his confident smile, Pete knows he did. So he replies, “Yes.”

“So?” Pete asks, drawing out the ‘o’ part of the word too long.

“What kind of sick joke are you trying to make?” Patrick asks in response, holding his glare. This has got to be a joke. Pete can’t be serious.

Pete frowns at that. “Joke? What joke?”

“The goddamn card.” Patrick hisses. Of course it’s the card. What else would he be talking about?

Pete blinks at him, confusion evident in his features. “That...wasn’t a joke.”

Now it’s Patrick’s turn to be confused. “You...what? But it has to be a joke!”

“Why?” Pete raises a questioning eyebrow. “Why does it have to be a joke?”

Patrick takes a deep breath and rattles out his reasons, just as he’d considered them in his head. “Because hot and semi-popular guys don’t ask unpopular guys to be a part of their active relationship.”

Pete stares at him for a little, then laughs. “Dude. Listen. You’re cute. I want to date you, and so do my boyfriends. It’s that simple.”

Patrick bites the inside of his cheek. “Uh...but...”

“But nothing.” Pete shrugs. “If you’re not gonna say yes, then don’t. Your choice, man.”

Patrick tries to think of any reason that this can’t be right, to cling to his last scrap of reality as he knows it. “But...but I don’t even know your boyfriends!”

Pete rolls his eyes and laughs again. “Joe. Constantly picks you for his team in Phys Ed because he feels genuinely sorry for you. Andy. Drummer for the school jazz band. I know you play the keyboard, so don’t even lie and say you don’t know him.”

“Oh.” Patrick mutters, because yeah, he does know both of those people. And yeah, he may or may not have minor crushes on both of those people. Also, however, they’re still both on his list of “people too popular for me to ever have a chance with”, right up there with Pete himself. So this still doesn’t seem quite right to him.

“C’mon, yes or no?” Pete asks excitedly.

Patrick meets his eyes, and finally gives in. “Okay, you know what? Okay. Yes. Whatever.”

“Yes!” Pete exclaims, pulling Patrick into a sudden hug. “Okay, after school is over, I have to take you to the old tree behind the school and we can all hang out and stuff, and I should warn you, Joe’s really touchy-feely, so if that bothers you, just go ahead and tell him to stop, and-”

“You two!” Mr. Splinter calls, interrupting Pete’s rant. “Is there something you’d like to share with the class?”

Pete looks like he’s actually going to share their entire conversation with the class, so Patrick speaks up and says, “No, Mr. Splinter.”

“Then I expect you to follow along.” Mr. Splinter scolds, then continues, “Now, as I was saying, the pressure in the container...”

Patrick zones out after that, partially to ignore the lesson and partially to ignore Pete grinning at him like an idiot. He only has to hold out for about fifty more minutes, and then school is over and he can stop pretending to care.

~*~

As soon as Patrick has shouldered his bag, Pete is pulling him down the hall and out the door.

“Whoa!” He yells as they run across a field towards, as Pete had mentioned earlier, an old, gnarled tree.

“No, we have to be there first! I’m always there first, and today won’t be any different!” Pete announces, grinning wildly as he runs towards the tree with Patrick in tow.

When they reach the tree, Pete happily sits down on the slightly damp grass, and Patrick reluctantly follows suit. He tunes out again and stops paying attention until he hears voices nearing them. He looks up to see two figures across the field, running over and yelling at each other all the while.

Pete grins at him. “Told you I’m always here first.”

“I believed you.” Patrick replies, rolling his eyes.

The two figures come into focus as they near the tree, and Patrick recognizes them as Andy and Joe; just like Pete had said. Something akin to “ _wait, I agreed to date these guys_ ” goes through his mind, but it’s so fleeting that he doesn’t even put more thought to it. 

“Hi.” Andy says when he makes it to the tree, offering a small wave in Patrick’s direction. Joe grins and waves too.

“Hi.” Patrick mutters in return, staring awkwardly back at the two recent arrivals, unsure of what else to say or how to react.

“I take it he said yes.” Andy says, speaking to Pete and gesturing to Patrick.

Pete rolls his eyes in an “isn’t it obvious” sort of way. “I wouldn’t have brought him to the Sacred Tree of Boyfriends if he didn’t.”

“The...what?” Patrick asks, raising an eyebrow.

“We call it that. Right?” Pete replies, giving Andy and Joe a hopeful look.

“You call it that.” Joe replies. “I call it The Tree Pete Gave An Annoying Name. Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

It takes Patrick a couple moments to realize that Joe is talking to him, and he isn’t sure how he’s supposed to respond, so he just stutters out, “Uh, yeah?”

“Cool.” Joe grins at him, so Patrick takes it that that was a good thing to say and smiles back.

Joe sits down on Patrick’s other side, and Andy sits down on the other side of Joe. For a little, they all just sit there against the old gnarled trunk of the old gnarled tree, and then Patrick clears his throat.

“So.” He says. 

“So?” Pete asks, turning to grin at him.

“Well.” Patrick begins, trying to find the words. “You, uh...gave me that card, and I said yes, so...uh...”

He didn’t quite phrase it right, or even completely finish his thought, but Pete must get the idea, because he says, “So now you’re dating all of us? Yep.”

“Oh.” Patrick says, looking out across the field.

“Good oh or bad oh?” Andy asks.

Patrick thinks for a second, then answers, “Good oh, I think.”

“Great!” Joe says excitedly. “Because you’re cute and I totally wanted to date you.”

“Uh...thanks.” Patrick mutters, eliciting a laugh from Joe and smiles from Andy and Pete.

“It’s all good.” Pete tells him, smiling. “There’s always an opt out option, too, y’know. Just in case.”

Patrick looks around him, to the three other people sitting under the tree with him ( _his boyfriends_ , he remembers), then smiles back. “I don’t think I’ll be using the opt out option.”

“Good.” Pete says, his own smile widening.

“Can we start a cuddle pile now? I’m fucking freezing.” Joe announces loudly.

“Your fault for not wearing a coat.” Andy points out, shrugging nonchalantly.

“Fuck you.” Joe says, though his voice betrays that he’s only joking, and tackles Andy, causing them both to hit the moist ground. 

“I’m in!” Pete announces, and throws himself on top of Andy and Joe. He looks back to Patrick. “C’mon, man, cuddle pile! It’s tradition.”

Patrick laughs. “I’m not going to-” His words become a surprised squeak as Pete tugs him by the arm onto the pile of people.

“No way out.” He says, grinning at Patrick.

“No way out.” Patrick says agreeably, laughing a little.

He doesn’t think he wants a way out. Ever.

**Author's Note:**

> setting it as a series bc i have IDEAS, and prompts are welcome!
> 
> xoxo


End file.
